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14-18 minutes
For today's project, we'll cover the process of how to build a DIY
Murphy bed. A Murphy bed will make your home or space more
efficient and will free up the room to use for other purposes. That
guest bedroom can now be used as an office, exercise area, or
playroom for the kids. The investment in time and money for this
DIY Murphy bed will be well worth it!
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use a DIY Murphy bed kit for all of the hardware to save time and
to make sure the bed works perfectly. I also wanted our DIY
Murphy bed to look professional and be easy to raise and lower. If
you are willing to take the time and don't care about the gas
springs or pre-made hardware, then I'd recommend checking out
DIY Tyler's Murphy bed build. He's a great guy and has a lot of
really cool projects. Here is a link to his Youtube video.
For those who want the professional DIY Murphy bed kit, you'll
invest around $300-500 depending on where and who you
purchase the DIY Murphy bed kit from. I did a lot of research and
ended up purchasing a gas spring kit on Amazon made by
CreateABed for $299. I've been very happy with it and certainly
would definitely recommend it. The DIY Murphy bed kit does come
with plans for any size bed. I used their DIY Murphy bed plans for
this build and customized the final product by adding trim on the
front and sides.
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https://amzn.to/2HFDURM
Here is an affiliate link to the DIY Murphy Bed kit in case you want
to purchase it. If you do purchase it on Amazon, I'll get a small
kickback from Amazon for recommending it which will help fund
new projects on my website. Thank you in advance! The DIY
Murphy bed kits are available for all sizes of beds. I built a vertical
Murphy bed, but they have horizontal Murphy beds as well.
Complete DIY Murphy bed systems that you can buy online and
assemble start in the $1250 range and go to about $2500. I looked
at quite a few systems on Amazon and BeStar brand makes quite
a few DIY Murphy bed solutions that are reasonably priced and
have 4 to 5-star reviews. Here is an example of a Bestar Murphy
bed that is close to $1300. You do need to assemble it similar to
Ikea furniture, but they are already stained or painted and can be
put together typically in a few hours. If you are not a DIY'er or
simply want to save time then I'd recommend buying a Murphy
bed. If you love to build and want a custom project then building
one is going to be a good fit.
• Total Cost for Wood and all supplies listed below including optional
trim: $402
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• *This does not include the cost of tools or a mattress. The price of
materials will vary depending on where you live. I used an old
mattress from my guest bedroom.
• * Please note that these are the nominal wood dimensions you will
see on the price tags when buying the wood. The actual size of a
1×4 board is actually 3/4 inches thick by 3 1/2 inches wide. This is
kind of confusing, but if you buy the below items you'll be good to
go. I would recommend ordering the kit first, to double check all of
the supplies.
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• Table Saw – I recommend using a table saw for this project if you
have access to one. However, it can be done using a circular saw
and a guide. Many people do use this method, but it is nice to
have a table saw to rip boards and for getting accurate cuts.
• Miter Saw
• Jigsaw
• Drill bit set – Pick up a drill bit set for under $10 if you don't already
have bits.
• Clamps
• Sawhorses
• Pencil
• Square
• Straight edge
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• Dust mask
• Rubber Gloves
• Tape Measure
• Scissors
• Safety Glasses
• Hearing Protection
• Stud Finder
The DIY Murphy bed plans for the bed will come in your kit. My
video will cover the queen size vertical Murphy bed. Other sized
beds follow the same overall process, but the placement of the
hardware will be different and the boards will be cut to different
sizes.
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Use a table saw or circular saw to cut the plywood down to size.
Having an extra person to help with this process will make things
much easier. A table saw is my tool of choice, but you can use a
circular saw with a guide if you do not own one.
A circular saw works great for cutting the boards down in length. I
use a 12 inch sliding compound miter saw from Dewalt.
The mattress frame is built out of solid 1×2 boards. I used pine. A
1×2 board is actually 3/4 inches thick by 1 1/2 inch wide. Cut the
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boards according to the plans you will get with Create-a-bed. Pre-
drill all holes. Use 1 1/2 inch screws and wood glue to assemble
each of the 5 struts. Then use 2 inch screws to attach the side
frame to each strut.
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The front face of the DIY Murphy bed cabinet is made of two
sheets of plywood cut to size. Apply edge banding to the three
outer sides of each piece of plywood. You do not need to apply
banding to the sides that touch each other in the center. On the
outer left and right panel, you'll want to measure in 1/4 inch and
draw a line.
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Center the DIY Murphy bed frame so there is a 1/4 inch overlap on
each side. The footboard should be flush with the edge and the
headboard will also have a little overlap. Use a pencil to trace
around each strut. This will provide a template to show where to
add glue. Remove the frame from the plywood, add glue, and then
attach the bed frame to the panels. See the video for more details.
Attach the bed frame to the face panels using 1 1/4 inch #8
screws. Make sure to pre-drill before inserting the screw. Take
your time lining up the panels to ensure they are square.
Add the hardware to the insides of each vertical cabinet piece. Add
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The header will connect the two vertical cabinet pieces. You'll also
use the header as a part to screw threw to connect the unit to the
wall in a later step.
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Remove the baseboard trim so your new Murphy bed will have a
tight fit against the wall. Another option is to contour cut the back
of the vertical so it fits around your existing trim. Either option will
work. I am slowly upgrading and replacing all the trim in my home,
so I removed the old 1×4 existing trim and put in some new 1×6
trim.
Carry the cabinet vertical, header, and other hardware to the room
it is being installed in. Next, move the bed frame. The bed frame is
heavy and I'd recommend finding someone to help you. Put a
large blanket or towels under the bed frame while moving it if you
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Add the spacer around the peg hardware and then put the peg
through the bed frame hole. Place the metal clip at the end to
secure it in place.
With a helper, rotate the two vertical boards up. Next, lift the
header between the vertical boards. Clamp in place and attach.
Attach from the inside so you will not see the screws.
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Push the bed frame up and slightly past the front of the cabinet
unit. Attach the gas springs. This can be a bit tricky and will
definitely require another person to help hold the bed while the
other person is installing the stoppers and gas springs.
Once the springs are in, you can add the stoppers. Because the
gas springs are now installed, I used a scrap piece of wood to hold
the panel out while we installed each stopper. The yellow arrow
points toward the scrap wood that is helping prop the door so we
have room to add the stopper.
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Use a stud finder to find the studs in your wall. Next, push the
cabinet unit against the wall. Attach the top header to the wall at
each stud location using 3 inch wood screws. After attaching the
top, I put a a couple screws through the lower portion of the
headboard near where the mattress will eventually go.
Add trim
In the manufacturer's directions, they will add the handles and 1/4
inch plywood earlier in the process. However, I was unsure how I
wanted to do the trim and so I added the handles later in the build.
I made a temporary pull so I could still open the bed without the
hardware installed. I did 1×6 trim around the top and bottom of the
unit. The corners are mitered.
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Trim was then added to the front face panels. The first piece goes
flush with the left side of the face panel and the top of the face
panel. There should still be a small gap between the top of this
board and the upper 1×6 trim.
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Attach both vertical pieces and then the top horizontal piece. Make
sure there is still a small gap between this piece and the top 1×6
molding.
Add the lower trim. You'll notice there is about an inch of space
between this trim and the baseboard. This is necessary so the
door can pivot.
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Add the center board and then horizontal ones. I used 3 horizontal
boards on each side, but feel free to modify or do the trim however
you'd like!
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Add handles
The 10 inch bar pulls are pretty cheap on Amazon. Make sure the
handles are added before the 1/4 inch backing is attached.
The diagram below shows the center of the panel where the
cabinet handle is placed. Use these measurements to help with
placement if needed.
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Install mattress
Slide the mattress into place and put the elastic straps over each
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corner. These will hold the mattress in place when it is lifted. You'll
need to use a mattress that is 12 inches in thickness or less. I
measured all the mattresses in my home and they were all
between 10-12 inches in thickness.
Enjoy!
Put the bedding on and enjoy the new bed! People love seeing
Murphy beds and it is fun to show visitors how it works. I added
temporary night stands until I build some new and lower
nightstands that match.
Please share your Murphy bed project in the comments and let me
know if you have any questions!
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